Plas Cadnant Hidden Gardens - Plas Cadnant House and The Old Dairy
A visit to Plas Cadnant Hidden Gardens.
Plas Cadnant is an historic country estate in Menai Bridge on the Isle of Anglesey. The buildings were Grade II listed by Cadw in 1967. The Georgian house dates from 1803 when it was built by John Price as his family home. The listed buildings also include Cadnant Lodge, at the entrance to the estate; a range of domestic outbuildings (which are thought to pre-date the Georgian house) and an icehouse.
The land at Plas Cadnant began as a farm in the 16th century, and by the Victorian era had become a country estate. The estate deteriorated during the second half of the twentieth century until it was purchased in 1990 by Anthony Tavernor who began renovations on the buildings and grounds. More recently a tea room and visitor centre have been built.
The holiday cottages from the gardens.
The main lawns at Plas Cadnant with view of the main house and the cottages to the right.
Plas Cadnant House and The Old Dairy
Plas Cadnant House is Grade II Listed Building.
History
Dated 1803, in an inscription in coping of parapet. Georgian house with outbuildings forming the focus of a small estate, including lodge house to drive, parkland, gardens and icehouse. The house was altered during the C19, with additions to rear containing service rooms, and an addition to NE with porch in the angle, now forming the main entrance. The original porch with balcony over was replaced in the C20. Former owners include John Price, agent to Lord Anglesey.
Exterior
House in simple Neo-classical Georgian style. Two storeys with attic and basement, 6 window range. Front of limestone ashlar facing to rubble walls, SW pebble dashed with stressed quoins at W corner, NE rendered with imitation ashlar scoring. Plinth and 1st floor sill band continue round to rear, plain parapet above cornice to front. Hipped slate roof with flat roof dormers to front and rear, rectangular stacks either end and ridge stack to SW. Central porch with 2 windows either side, 2 tall windows over porch extend below 1st floor sill band. Recessed sash windows, flat lintels scored to imitate voussoirs. Windows 12 pane generally with two 15 pane windows over added porch which has slender Doric columns - these windows formerly opened onto a balcony with ornamental iron balustrade (removed). Half glazed doorway to left of porch entrance with 3-pane rectangular fanlight. To right is 2 storey, 1 window extension with pitched roof and lean to porch in angle. Brick built lean-to extensions to rear.
Interior
Axial corridor towards rear, between principal rooms and service rooms as rear range. Front door opens into central room with rounded corners, echoed in room above. Six-panel doors throughout with panelled shutters to windows on ground floor and decorative moulded plasted cornices in front rooms. Stair with wreathed handrail and shaped brackets to cut string. Original fireplaces with black or white marble, and polished slate surrounds, some with reed mouldings and ornamental cast iron hob grates. Bell system intact and working.
Reasons for Listing
Listed as a good example of a small early C19 country house retaining much of its original character both externally and internally.
The Old Dairy is a Grade II Listed Building
Plas Cadnant domestic service outbuilding and wall
History
Plas Cadnant is dated 1803, and this building is probably contemporary; built to provide domestic services, including servant's accommodation, storage, dairying and salting, baking, boiling and clothes washing. Alterations to some windows late C19 or early C20, and interior partly re-arranged.
Exterior
An asymmetrical 2 storey range built parallel to the house across a yard. Random rubble walls and slate lintels, under a hipped roof of large slates laid to diminishing courses. Two rectangular brick chimneys, arranged centrally. Offset to left is a covered passage with heavy stone lintels, leading to a larger yard with coach-house. Windows are 12 pane and 16 pane fixed lights, with large openings flanking passage, that to the left having a ventilated opening. Abutting left end is a roofless building with massive stone lintel over door to front, cambered brick lintel to rear, window to end wall. At right angles to the main range is a 3 unit lean-to, presently roofless, built against the high stone wall forming the yard boundary on the SW side. Between the lean-to and the house are tall iron gates, leading off the track past the house. The yard is bounded to the NE by a lower stone wall.
Interior
To left of passage is a washhouse or bakehouse, unlofted with a storage area over the passage-way, and brick oven or boiler base. King-post roof truss. To right of passage is an unlofted room with no external access, reached from store/bakehouse, with servant's quarters over. This has a small fireplace on the ground floor with brick oven or boiler base in corner. Small brick fireplace on first floor servant's quarters, reached by separate door and internal wood staircase. Main transverse beam re-set at diagonal to accommodate enlarged window to rear. Iron bacon hooks on beam. Room to extreme right is dairy and salting room, with slate slab floor, limewashed walls, slate bench round all sides, with slate trough for bacon salting or skimming milk. Lean-to range against high wall to left has tiled and brick floors.
Reasons for Listing
Listed notwithstanding condition, as a virtually intact domestic service building, forming an important part of the estate group, centred on the Georgian country house of Plas Cadnant.
Plas Cadnant Hidden Gardens - Plas Cadnant House and The Old Dairy
A visit to Plas Cadnant Hidden Gardens.
Plas Cadnant is an historic country estate in Menai Bridge on the Isle of Anglesey. The buildings were Grade II listed by Cadw in 1967. The Georgian house dates from 1803 when it was built by John Price as his family home. The listed buildings also include Cadnant Lodge, at the entrance to the estate; a range of domestic outbuildings (which are thought to pre-date the Georgian house) and an icehouse.
The land at Plas Cadnant began as a farm in the 16th century, and by the Victorian era had become a country estate. The estate deteriorated during the second half of the twentieth century until it was purchased in 1990 by Anthony Tavernor who began renovations on the buildings and grounds. More recently a tea room and visitor centre have been built.
The holiday cottages from the gardens.
The main lawns at Plas Cadnant with view of the main house and the cottages to the right.
Plas Cadnant House and The Old Dairy
Plas Cadnant House is Grade II Listed Building.
History
Dated 1803, in an inscription in coping of parapet. Georgian house with outbuildings forming the focus of a small estate, including lodge house to drive, parkland, gardens and icehouse. The house was altered during the C19, with additions to rear containing service rooms, and an addition to NE with porch in the angle, now forming the main entrance. The original porch with balcony over was replaced in the C20. Former owners include John Price, agent to Lord Anglesey.
Exterior
House in simple Neo-classical Georgian style. Two storeys with attic and basement, 6 window range. Front of limestone ashlar facing to rubble walls, SW pebble dashed with stressed quoins at W corner, NE rendered with imitation ashlar scoring. Plinth and 1st floor sill band continue round to rear, plain parapet above cornice to front. Hipped slate roof with flat roof dormers to front and rear, rectangular stacks either end and ridge stack to SW. Central porch with 2 windows either side, 2 tall windows over porch extend below 1st floor sill band. Recessed sash windows, flat lintels scored to imitate voussoirs. Windows 12 pane generally with two 15 pane windows over added porch which has slender Doric columns - these windows formerly opened onto a balcony with ornamental iron balustrade (removed). Half glazed doorway to left of porch entrance with 3-pane rectangular fanlight. To right is 2 storey, 1 window extension with pitched roof and lean to porch in angle. Brick built lean-to extensions to rear.
Interior
Axial corridor towards rear, between principal rooms and service rooms as rear range. Front door opens into central room with rounded corners, echoed in room above. Six-panel doors throughout with panelled shutters to windows on ground floor and decorative moulded plasted cornices in front rooms. Stair with wreathed handrail and shaped brackets to cut string. Original fireplaces with black or white marble, and polished slate surrounds, some with reed mouldings and ornamental cast iron hob grates. Bell system intact and working.
Reasons for Listing
Listed as a good example of a small early C19 country house retaining much of its original character both externally and internally.
The Old Dairy is a Grade II Listed Building
Plas Cadnant domestic service outbuilding and wall
History
Plas Cadnant is dated 1803, and this building is probably contemporary; built to provide domestic services, including servant's accommodation, storage, dairying and salting, baking, boiling and clothes washing. Alterations to some windows late C19 or early C20, and interior partly re-arranged.
Exterior
An asymmetrical 2 storey range built parallel to the house across a yard. Random rubble walls and slate lintels, under a hipped roof of large slates laid to diminishing courses. Two rectangular brick chimneys, arranged centrally. Offset to left is a covered passage with heavy stone lintels, leading to a larger yard with coach-house. Windows are 12 pane and 16 pane fixed lights, with large openings flanking passage, that to the left having a ventilated opening. Abutting left end is a roofless building with massive stone lintel over door to front, cambered brick lintel to rear, window to end wall. At right angles to the main range is a 3 unit lean-to, presently roofless, built against the high stone wall forming the yard boundary on the SW side. Between the lean-to and the house are tall iron gates, leading off the track past the house. The yard is bounded to the NE by a lower stone wall.
Interior
To left of passage is a washhouse or bakehouse, unlofted with a storage area over the passage-way, and brick oven or boiler base. King-post roof truss. To right of passage is an unlofted room with no external access, reached from store/bakehouse, with servant's quarters over. This has a small fireplace on the ground floor with brick oven or boiler base in corner. Small brick fireplace on first floor servant's quarters, reached by separate door and internal wood staircase. Main transverse beam re-set at diagonal to accommodate enlarged window to rear. Iron bacon hooks on beam. Room to extreme right is dairy and salting room, with slate slab floor, limewashed walls, slate bench round all sides, with slate trough for bacon salting or skimming milk. Lean-to range against high wall to left has tiled and brick floors.
Reasons for Listing
Listed notwithstanding condition, as a virtually intact domestic service building, forming an important part of the estate group, centred on the Georgian country house of Plas Cadnant.